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Hodad's

Ok. There’s a line of burgerheads in front of Hodad's. Count on it. Day or night.

But the line moves fast and you are only a block from the beach, so the scenery is good.

But no matter how much you may like looking at sand and surf, the natural beauty on a Hodad's trip is all inside the restaurant. That’s where you will find what they modestly call the world’s best burger. And they might be right.

They go out of their way to give you a two-fisted burger experience. Mayo and mustard on the bottom bun. Raw onion slices. Ketchup. Pickles. Tomato slices. More ketchup. Shredded lettuce. Then one or two beef patties. Bacon patty if you want. Cheese if you need it. Top with the other bun.

In all, you’ve got a sandwich probably five or six inches high, wrapped in yellow wax paper called the burger trough.

The idea is to keep the paper on to prevent burger disintegration and, once you pick it up, don’t let go till it’s done.

There are other things on the menu. But that’s not the point. There is a laid-back beach-town décor of old cars, surf boards and used license plates. But that’s not the point either.

This is a local burger joint. And a good one.

Byron and Virginia Hardin opened the original Hodad's in 1969. It moved to its present location in 1991 and is run by “second generation Burgermeister” Mike Hardin.